The silent epidemic: Cardiovascular mortality among patients with thyroid disorders—Insights from CDC-WONDER database (1999–2023)

Thyroid disorders substantially contribute to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in the United States. Although current U.S. data provides general mortality rates attributed to these diseases individually, trends specific to CVD-related mortality among patients with thyroid disorders remain underexplored. We examined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research database for deaths related to concomitant CVD and thyroid disorders among adults aged ≥25 years from 1999 to 2023. Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) per 100,000 with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and annual percent change (APC) were calculated and categorized by demographics and geographic region. A total of 513,974 deaths were recorded due to CVD and thyroid disorders. Ischemic heart disease reported the highest burden in these patients, with a total of 305,497 deaths (59.43%). The AAMR observed a significant incline from 8.63 in 1999 to 10.82 in 2023, with an average APC of 0.76 (95% CI: -0.16 to 1.69). Women had consistently higher AAMRs than men (10.96 vs 6.22). Racially, non-Hispanic (NH) White population had the highest overall AAMR (9.74). Regionally, the Midwest recorded the highest overall AAMR (9.91). A higher overall AAMR was observed in Nonmetropolitan areas as compared to metropolitan areas (10.84 vs 8.41). States that fell in the top 90th percentile were Wyoming, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and West Virginia. In this retrospective analysis spanning from 1999 to 2023, we identified a notable rise in mortality among adults with coexisting CVD and thyroid disorders. The concurrent escalation in both prevalence and mortality highlights the pressing need for strengthened surveillance, proactive prevention, and therapeutic interventions.